The Legend of the Summoning Scroll
by Dark and Death
Summary: Join Sasori, an S-rank missing nin from the Sand Village, and Reikon, a summoned demon of legend on their quest to find the Akatsuki. This is pre-Shippuden.
1. The Three Demons, Sasori

**Death: This is a new story of mine. Don't worry it will get hilarious in the second chapter as it is about Reikon! I was limited to how much humor there was because Sasori isn't a very humorus character (but I love him anyway! XD). **

* * *

The Legend of the Summoning Scroll

Shortly after Sasori had left the retched Sand Village that he despised and hated, he immediately got sent an invitation from a so-called group named the, Akatsuki. They apparently want _him_ in their little organization. _Finally, someone decides to take notice of my art._ He thought. On top of that he got sent the directions for one of their hideouts. The only problem... The directions were one whole, blasted riddle.

_Meet us there by summer's solstice _

_Close to evergreen, but far from barren waste_

_At a place where leaves appear eager to fall_

_Where a tall tipped spire blocks three fourths of the sun, but all of the moon _

_Past a clear curved ribbon that snakes as a borderline_

_It's mirror of a surface seems to hum with the wind_

That was all the direction Sasori was given from the invitation. He hated to admit it, but even he didn't have a clue what this riddle was going on about now. This gave no exact location or anything on the hideout. This required higher intelligence, but the only intelligence higher than him, didn't even exist. Either it didn't or it wasn't even human. Yes, not even a human could figure this puzzle out. This was one of those riddles where only the writer knows the answer, and the reader is left clueless. Or was it...

"Hey, did you hear that one of the three legendary summoning scrolls have been found?"

Sasori over heard two teenage boys talking in a whisper just as he was walking by. _Legendary summoning scrolls? _He stopped in his tracks. He never heard such a thing, and he didn't expect two lowly teenage boys to know either. Perhaps River Country wasn't all that oblivious after all. If they knew something as big as summoning scrolls, more or less,_ legendary_ ones.

"Yeah, they're even said to be the most powerful in all of the world!" Sasori heard the other boy whispered his excitement. _Most powerful in all of the world?_ He replayed that line in his head.

"Too bad nobody's ever gotten through all of the guards and traps in the chamber to ever get a shot at the scroll."

"Yeah, nobody's that desperate." Oh but Sasori was. He knew it was just three weeks until summer solstice, and he had no idea where the so called hideout was even located. The two boys were now out of his range of hearing. He needed more information about those scrolls to get his hands on them. What ever it took, he made a silent vow in his head that he will find that one scroll they were talking about. Whatever that animal was, he would summon it and then torture and torment it until it would take him to the Akatsuki hideout. Yes, that was what he would do.

It was about ten o'clock in the morning in the Hidden Valley Village. He was currently wearing a typical turquoise sand village attire with a white coil collar that ended at the humerus (middle of the upper arm). It was a larger version of the attire he had as a kid. Favoring it over others for travel because of it's light weight and maneuverability.

Last night was the night that he abandoned the Sand Village after murdering the 3rd Kasekage and turning him into one of his artwork. Sasori must say though, it was all worth it as it took a special place in all of his collection. He was grateful that his puppet body need not any food or water to keep going. Otherwise, there would be a slight chance that some Suna-weaklings could slow him down, keep him waiting. He hated waiting. He had been kept waiting all his life, but no more. No more waiting for hopeless dreams to come true, like the possibility of his parents coming back or the possibility of the Sand Village never throwing away their shinobi like withered old tools. No, he would not be kept waiting, nor keep others waiting.

The Sand Village, the most pathetic of the five great nations. So naive and carless that they even didn't know, much less cared, about who murdered their precious 3rd Kazekage. That village was full of fools, fools that he no longer wanted to be with or belong too. Foolish, insolent, uncaring, coldhearted village of his (well not now anyway). How could they let his mother and father parish to the wind on a mission just like that? No, it was because they _didn't_ care, they didn't care for their own ninja or citizens. Always telling, even forcing him to make more and more puppets just so they can be destroyed in combat like trash. His artwork... Destroyed. He couldn't stand it, but he knew the rest of the village wouldn't even care, they could just get more and more from him, use him (but not anymore). So why care himself? Why care about anyone else but himself? Why even show emotion when everyone around you doesn't even have any regard for them? Why care all together?

Sasori stopped and looked up at a place in the village that he thought might have some decent information on his topic. _The Valley Village Library_. He read the words engraved in the marble stone just outside of the place. It looked small from the outside, made out of polished black and white marble with clear glass doors and iron handles. It was better than Sunagakure's libraries though, which were made out of just sand. In fact all the structures were mostly sand all together. _Tsk, why am I even thinking about the village that I abandoned in the first place._ He asked himself. He pushed the thought aside and stepped into the library.

Eh, nothing that flashy or special. It was dimly lit, just enough to see and at the same time be comforting to the naked eye. The floor was carpeted blue and brown and the walls were wooden. He guessed... Maybe walnut? Rows of six foot tall book shelves were lined in an orderly fashion one behind another in the open areas. He also spotted several benches, chairs, and tables for which to sit and read on. It was only occupied by six guests and three employees, two at the library check out counters and one organizing recently checked in books into the shelves.

The ones at the counter looked pretty busy, so Sasori decided to ask the one next to the book cart instead. He walked over to her from behind. She hadn't seemed to notice him just two feet away from her backside yet. He reached over and tapped on her right shoulder with a finger.

"Ah!" She jumped and spilled the two books she was carrying onto the floor at the tap of his finger. Sasori had his own share of astonishment. He flinched and quickly withdrew his finger. The librarian whirled around. She had long lavender hair in a high ponytail with black rimmed glasses and a white kimono. Her eyes were also lavender with her skin a little pale. She would have been attractive in someone else's eyes, but to Sasori, she didn't stand out that much. He looked down at her name tag. Her name was... Akira.

"Y-Yes?" She stammered. Then, she was looking at him with those glassy, sparkly eyes and hugging a random blue book against her chest, and she was blushing like crazy. Oh, great. Another girl that was looking at him like a meal. He was down right sick of it too. That's what all of the girls in Sunagakure did when they saw him walking by. Sasori figured that things in Tanigakure would be no different. _Ugh, why do girls always have to be like this to me._ He complained to himself.

"Do you have any books about the three legendary scrolls?" He asked. She froze for a second and then began to chuckle.

"What would a handsome boy like you want with such a dark thing like that?" She said in between chuckles. _Dark thing?_ Sasori remained still in the same position. He had to be patient with people like this, even though they were annoying as fleas, he had to keep still. They'll tell you everything eventually. The trick is to never falter, never move, and remain persistent. Sasori did just that. Soon enough, Akira stopped laughing and then knit her eyebrows.

"Oh, you were serious?" She asked. All he had to was blink once for her to get the message. Good, at least this one was bright enough to read his body language. "We usually don't talk about that in Tanigakure. It's kind of a touchy subject." She whispered. _Alright, Sasori. Time to turn on the charm._ He decided.

"Oh, I'm sure it's not such a big deal if a person like me knows." He lulled. _Man, she turned beet red just for that?_ He mused in his mind. It took all of his willpower to force a light smile. Did her nose just started bleeding? Sasori decided to ignore the blood trickling down her nose and focus only on her eyes. Yep, she was falling apart.

"U-Uh, ok." She drew in closer to whisper her answer. "The legend goes that in The First Great Shinobi War while the nations were fighting over supremacy, that in their desperation, they searched for an ultimate weapon."

"You mean Jinjuricki?" Sasori interrupted.

"No, these were far more powerful than Jinjuriki. They were considered _invincible_. It is unknown of there full power, but it is said that in the midst of war, the Land of Demons created three elemental demons in hopes of ending the Great War. A demon of the mind, a demon of the body, and lastly a demon of the soul. They placed these three terrifying demons into three of their own shinobi. Those three shinobi were said to be given powers beyond anything that the world could ever imagine. So much that they went berserk. The demons took their bodies as a new type form and destroyed the very village that created them. Finally a hero named Surigai Atamaru sealed them away in three separate scrolls. Then he scattered them all over the lands. Hoping that they will never be found by the wrong intentions." Akira then leaned back against the shelf like it exhaust her to tell any more.

"What of the scroll that was already found? Which demon is it exactly?" Sasori pushed her on. He felt like he wasn't getting the full of her little story. She flinched, but told him anyway.

"I think it's the demon of the soul. It's said to be somewhere here in the Land of Rivers. I don't know exactly where, but it said that only a person who doesn't breath the air, who's eyes are not the gateway to his or her soul, and is nor alive or dead could manage to pull it out. That's what it says of the soul anyway, I don't know of the body or mind." She explained.

"What's the soul demon like?" Sasori asked.

"She is said to be calmer and more controlled than her demon brothers. Calm enough to talk to anyway." Akira giggled.

"She?"

"Oh, yes. These demons took the form of the shinobi. The one the soul demon took was a female." She smiled. _A female. Why would a demon want a female for a body?_ He was completely puzzled, but he didn't show it. Leave that for the demon to answer for him.

"Do you know anymore about these demons?" Sasori asked his last question.

"No," She said. He was just about to turn and leave when she grabbed his arm. "but, I do know someone who might."

Sasori had followed Akira the librarian out of the library. They were now standing in front of a mining store.

"I have to get back to my work at the library. When you get there, look for Kyou Uragachi, he's said to know _everything_ about the three demons. Some say that he's met them before himself." She informed. With that, she went back to path leading to the library. Sasori turned back to the little store and walked in.

The store was decent in size and area with plain grey walls with a few advertising posters. What made it special was the fact that it was gleaming with beautiful gemstones. He saw some quartz, onyx, and amethyst on the four foot tall shelves that he was walking by along with some other common gems on the others. There were some extra large ones in tall glass capsules on display and some mining tools in various corners of the shop. This store apparently sold gems, mining material, and rare artifacts. He spotted the counter which was, he guessed, the store's treasure trove made of clear glass. Inside for all to see were precious gems like ruby, gold nuggets, and even a few diamonds, but this wasn't a jewelry store. There was not a single silver chain in sight. _This must be where the jewelers buy their gems._ Sasori realized. After he had his share of eye-candy, he began looking for the man that Akira mentioned. Just as Sasori started to look around, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Are you finding everything alright, young'n?" The man was old with and worn down wrinkly face and thin bleach white hair. He also had one of those tiny, thin round glass. Sasori looked down at his name tag. _Kyou Uragachi._ It read. _So this was the man that Akira was talking about_.

"Quite, but sir, do you mind answering a few questions I have?" Sasori asked. The old man smiled, as if eager to help.

"Of corse, lad. Right this way." He gestured to a lonely corner of the room. Once there, he spoke.

"Now, what was the question you had?" The old man gestured for Sasori to speak.

"Someone told me that you know a lot about the three demons and their scrolls. What do you know about the soul demon?" Sasori asked. The old man kept the same smile on his face. _How does he do that?_

"Well, how much do _you_ know about the soul demon already?" Kyou countered his question.

"I know that it took the form of a female body and is more calm and controlled than her other demon brothers." Sasori thought back to what Akira told him as he answered that. The old man finally stopped smiling.

"So you already know that much, eh?" The old man said. Sasori nodded slightly. "What do you intend on doing with her? You're not one of those punks friends are you?" He pointed a bony finger at Sasori.

"Punks?" Sasori questioned.

"Yeah, those ones that came earlier seeking to take the Soul Stone." The old man then realized how much had just slipped from his mouth and covered it with his frail hands.

"Soul Stone?"

"Oh, dear. I've said to much again." The old man quivered.

"I don't intend to harm her or miss use her. I just need her to show me a place." Sasori lied. The old man relaxed a little.

"She the most intelligent out of her brothers and is more than just a weapon of mass destruction. She is very valuable and will complete any task as long as she is given a Soul Stone." Sasori watched the man draw an small iridescent, perfectly round, glassy looking orb. It was about the size of a large marble, but Sasori felt like something was missing from it, something that was suppose to right in the center...

"Is it missing something?" Sasori asked. Old man Kyou seemed to be taken aback.

"Why yes it is. In the center, it will glow a blinding white depending on how much the person in possession of it killed. The white represents the number of souls the owner has released. Or how many they've killed. The soul demon treasures this because for every soul that the owner has released is immediately trapped here. For every life you kill she gets one. That is how she is invincible, immortal. You can kill her ten times, but as long as she has eleven souls, she won't die." He paused then handed the Soul Stone to Sasori. "Here, you seem like a good lad. Give this to her as a gift. Then, she might be will be willing to help you on your journey." Kyou then took Sasori's hand, placed the stone in the middle of his palm, and then closed it tight with his shaky fingers. _Why did he trust me so much?_ Sasori questioned in his head, but in reality, all he did was nod and then zipped out of the shop with blinding ninja speed.

* * *

**Death: Hope you like it! If you don't bare with me here, please! The second chapter is shorter, so it's on it's way! **


	2. Over 400 Years of Nothing, Reikon

**Death: Thank you, loyal fans for waiting! Sorry, been busy with my requests and commissions.**

* * *

Somewhere in the summoned world...

"Man, this is the life... Eh, guys." Karada sighed.

"You said it." Reikon agreed.

"You guys shouldn't get too relaxed you know, those humans are some creatures. What if they find one of our scrolls? We'll be in big trouble." Nentou shivered.

"Oh, relax, worry-wort." Karada made a gesture with his hand. "It's been four hundred years already. Please, they'll never be able to find us."

You wouldn't expect the three demons of legend, Reikon, Karada, and Nentou, to be lounging around in a local hot spring would you? Well, that's the three legendary demons alright. Making the best of a hot summer day in the summoned world by lounging around, doing nothing in a hot spring. They were all currently in their wolf forms. Karada, the demon of body, took the form of a raven blue wolf with frosty eyes and was currently content with his eyes closed, and head just above the boiling water. Reikon, the demon of soul, took the form of pitch black wolf with soft maroon red eyes, sitting with them lazily open watching the afternoon breeze pass by. Nentou, the demon of mind, took the form of a beige colored wolf with amber eyes, and was currently pacing around at the edge of spring waiting for Karada and Reikon to finish their little bath.

"Would you stop pacing around like that? I'm getting dizzy just by looking at you." Reikon snarled.

"Yeah, Nentou. What's the matter with you?" Karada turned to him.

"I've just got this weird feeling..." Nentou continued to pace around the edge. Kicking up clouds of dirt as he trailed back and forth. Reikon made a silent vow to eat him if he didn't stop that.

"Ha! Must've been that sickly buzzard that you ate for lunch. You knew it had salmonella, and you _still_ ate it!" Karada roared with laughter.

"Shut up, Karada!" Nentou spat. _Ah, great. Even if you're over four hundred years old you still have to deal with sibling struggles._ Reikon complained to herself.

"Ha! You should shut your face!" He spat back._ Here we go again..._ Reikon rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you shut yours first!"

"As if, worry-wort!"

"Hey, don't call me that!" Their bickering seemed to fade from her ears as Reikon entered her own thoughts. What if, someone actually _did_ find her scroll someday? What would they say? What would they ask her to do? Take over the world, revenge a clan, destroy an entire village... So many possibilities... She never liked heroes, but she was grateful for the one who sealed her away, at least, it gave her some time to think about the world and everything else. She knew of it's beauty, it's sin, and it's secrets. She knew all along while her brothers were too busy bickering with one another to even take notice. Her brothers... Such imbeciles sometimes. They would go on and on about who's hair was better, who's teddy bear was the softest, and sometimes even who's breath smelled better. Hmm... Foolish brothers.

"Call you what? Worry-wort?!" Karada continued to teased. Nentou started twitching. _Oh boy, here come the fancy, it's-not-actually-real-but-looks-real Genjustu._ She sighed. Reikon decided to be the 'responsible sibling' and stop it (you get really tired of it in over four hundred years with them).

"Yo! Big Mouth! Twitchy!" Reikon shouted. She made it very clear that she was referring Karada to Big Mouth and Nentou as Twitchy. They immediately stopped and turned to her with questioning looks. "Would you two just stop trying to kill each other. It's useless you know, we're all immortal. So Karada... Stop being a big mouthed jackass and start being the big brother like you're suppose to be instead!" Reikon yelled at him. Karada just sat up wide-eyed in the water and gulped. Reikon then whipped her head around to Nentou. "Nentou, stop being the whinny bitch and start learning how to deal with things!" Reikon had enough of their constant combat for the last four hundred years with each other. She was speaking her mind now, and she liked it!

"B-But, Karada was the one who started it." Nentou's whimper combined with the puppy eyes were... Pathetic.

"Does it look like I care?! Shut your mouth, and suck it up!" Reikon yelled. Her voice ringed with such intensity that even Karada didn't usher another word. Nentou looked horrified at the new Reikon. She was angrier now, fiercer than the last few centuries. More than that, she was unsteady... Shaky even. He knew of other demons in the summoned world and they were always shaky, but the shakiest of all were the ones who risked getting summoned. Could they have actually found his sister's scroll. All he could do was sit and awe at the change in his demon sibling. She too was glaring into his soul, she had that ability, but this was the first time Nentou ever felt _threatened_ by it. It was aggressive this time, powerful. He held in a wince of pain between his lips as he felt those eyes slowly slip daggers in his own heart.

"What's wrong with you sis. You're not normally like this." Karada smirked. In a mere flash Reikon whipped her head around to him with blinding speed. Karada jumped as he was faced with her famous Tamashigan. It was a jutsu that added a smokey black ink that seemed to swirl randomly all over the red in her eye. He was shocked by the amount of red he witnessed in her eye, normally it was faint with a mix of white, more of a maroon, now they were as red as fresh blood.

"I'm getting out." With that, Reikon dragged herself out of the spring with her paws and shook the water from her pitch black wolf coat. She then morphed into a two foot tall black falcon with red eyes and took off from the ground. Heading... Who knows where.

Reikon knew she was near her summoning time. She was nervous. She calculated just ten minutes before she would be teleported to... Who knows where. It was a dead count down. She needed a place to think this all through besides on the wind.

Reikon soared over small pond with green meadow grass and clear reflective water. _Yes, there I shall think this all through._ She circled over then landed gracefully on the green in front of the pond after a little while. She quickly decided to change into her human form for the summoning.

It was her form that she chose four hundred years ago. She had long, straight black hair tied in a half-ponytail, her eyes reflecting that of Reikon's. Reikon had also wedged five feathers between her hair band. They were black feathers, each about two inches long with a circular dot at the center. One with a red dot, one with blue, one with white, one with brown, and the center feather (slightly longer than the others) had an iridescent dot. The form that she took was young, fifteen years old and strikingly attractive to the humans for some reason. Reikon adorned her with a black long sleeve tunic with several thick, ribbon like grey straps that wrapped all around her upper body. The tunic also had a heavy black skirt split open at the rear and between her front legs. Under the skirt she also wore matching black pants, since she found that the humans found vulnerability always relating to undesired contact. Reikon also equipped her form with silver talon-like finger armor on each of her fingers, made by superior craftsmanship. She liked to call them talons because of their resemblance to one of a falcon's. More of their function later to come.

Reikon hadn't used this form in such a long while. She hadn't needed it in her centuries spent in the summoned world, where everyone took the form of animals or hybrids alike. Come to think of it, she wasn't even used to walking on two legs.

She stood up shakily, almost tipping over in the process. _Ugh, why does the second most intelligent life form have to be bipedal._ She cursed in her head. Reikon fought to get her balance in this unsteady form. Eventually, she got the hang of it and even practiced running, walking, and a little bit of skipping around the pond. _Oh, right. I should practice their language as well._ She thought. This whole time she had been speaking demonic to Karada and Nentou that she almost forgot the whole language of the humans. She began mumbling a few random sentences in common.

"Hello, Kujak. Ugh, I mean... Master." She fumbled. _Ugh, why do humans have to have such a weird way of communicating._ She insulted in her head.

"Greetings, summoner. What brings you to my dwelling?" Reikon did a little bow to go with the proper greeting. Then she slapped her hand on her face in disgust. A face-palm, they called it. That made her sound like a mere minion. Not a great demon of legend that she was.

"Dyask!" She swore in demon. She must sound more powerful than that!

"How dare you disturb my slumber, foul insolent creature!" She practiced. _No, no. Too harsh._ She didn't want to scare her summoner away. After all, it was getting boring recently anyway. She was almost eager to help. Well... If you consider slaughter as a form of helping then yes, she would like to _help_. Hmm... Maybe she didn't have to give a whole speech to introduce herself. Maybe just one word would do. Humans weren't so strict on greetings nowadays.

"Well?" She tried. _No, still not that_.

"Yes?" Yes! That was it! That was what she would say. It gave no spite nor courtesy in the tone. Nor showed any feeling of her bursting excitement. It was short, yet demanding. It was perfect. Reikon leaped and bound in her human form while drowning herself in pride for the little accomplishment. After a short while, she managed to calm herself down enough to actually stand still. Though she was still itching with newfound curiosity.

_What will this summoner look like? What will he or she be like? What does he or she desire me to do?_ The questions buzzed in her head. Wait. She could not be so willing to offer them support, even if they do meet all the requirements, it was her standard that she must be given something before doing another. _Yes, he or she must come with hand held open with a gift for me._ It was not only desired, it was required. And if the unlucky summoner didn't bring anything for a great demon like her, she would gorge on his or her soul. Becoming her first victim in over four centuries. Oh, how she longed for a human soul to feed on to increase her form's power. She needed the extra boost. In fact, this form had only two souls, two lives, in reserve and was still very stiff from not being used in such a while. Now that Reikon had noticed, it was harder to move it than all the years back when it was loose and fleeting.

Never mind that though, she could fix that once she got out there. The more important of the matter was that if (however unlikely) she got stabbed in the heart just two times, this form would surely perish, and she would be left with one form out of her possession. And it was hard to find a new form that bent to her liking. There were so many requirements. The form must be willing to accept her as it's new owner, it must posses necessary skill to be top of the food chain, it must be in top condition with not a scratch on it, and be young enough to obtain all of her demonic special abilities.

She once again she was thinking about her summoner again. Reikon usually wasn't this curious. Maybe it was her longing to find a suitable mate. Demons usually started searching for a partner to spend their days with at the age of four hundred. Just for company and eternal loyalty. Kind of like what the humans called 'marriage' without all the revolting contact that comes after. Just for company, and nothing more. Yes, that was what was on her mind. Her brothers were getting more and more distant from her. Less important to her. It was time to finally part with them. _I'll settle that matter after I get summoned._ She decided.

Now, Reikon just sat waiting, to be summoned.

* * *

**Death: If you don't know what finger armor is, please look it up on Google. Reikon's Tamachigan means Soul Reaper's Eye in Japanese, and with reason! Below is a little peek at our Demonic Dictionary. **

**Dyask (DHEE-ask): Shit **

**Kujak (COO-jack): Master**


	3. A Girl Demon?

**Death: Sooooo sorry for the long wait fans! Hope you enjoy this chapter, as it is very long! **

* * *

After about three minutes of running at his top speed, Sasori stopped when he was just a quarter of a mile away from the Valley Village. It then occurred to him that he didn't even have a clue where the scroll was even located. He face-palmed. I'm too impatient. He scolded himself. Then started to drown himself in internal self pity. He knew he should have asked that old man before he took off impulsively like that. He couldn't go back and ask him where it was, it would seem too suspicious. Now he would regret it big time.

Just before he was about to completely immerse himself in thoughts of hopelessness, he heard the light rustle of nearby bramble bushes behind him. Someone was coming. Outside of Tanigakure was basically all forest and woodland, so it wasn't hard to find a good hiding place quickly in his situation. Sasori quickly dashed behind a large thick bush and crouched low to the ground. He heard voices ahead.

"Dude, I can't believe you stole the actual map to all the Legendary Summoning Scrolls. That's just crazy!" Sasori heard a teenage boy about the age of sixteen speak. There were two of them judging by the sound of their footsteps. He couldn't make out the exact color of their attire from his position, all he could do was listen as they continued on their way past him.

"Yeah, the old sack of bones didn't even notice us as he was giving the Soul Stone to that red headed weirdo." The one on the left who was carrying the map scoffed.

"Ha! Who needs that piece of junk anyway! We'll just force the demon to do our bidding with our stunning good looks and skill." The one on the right laughed. "Besides, she's only a little girl!"

"I got it!" The left one poked a finger at a small area of the map. Right there is the Demon of Soul."

"Alright, lets torture this beast!" The right one agreed and with that, they both bolted off in the direction of the demon.

Sasori decided to follow them in hopes that they actually knew where they were going. That, and he didn't have any other choice. He may have the Soul Stone, but he didn't have the map. Then again, they had the map, but they didn't have the Soul Stone. Didn't the demon prize the Soul Stone dearly? Yes, he remembered it did.

Sasori knew that because he was following the two teenage boys, that he would get there later than them. They had first dibs on the demon. He knew he couldn't let that happen, but he had to risk that chance to find the demon. Maybe the demon would hopefully just kill them and give him a chance, but that was highly unlikely. He knew of some demons that had been spread by old nursery tales, and they were definitely not friendly. If the demon decided to go after him, all of his efforts to find it would be wasted. In the worst case scenario Sasori would then have to fight it. If he defeated it then that would be no good, since he would kill his only chance of reaching the Akatsuki hideout. And if it killed him, he would be dead, but despite the possibility, he had to take a chance. He was desperate.

His efforts in following the ignorant school boys, soon paid off. They both stopped in their tracks as they were faced with a giant cave mouth towering above them at a sheer fifteen feet tall. The eerie ashen stone maw seem to growl at the intruders that stood before it, sending several waves of rumbling vibrations that made the ground hum under Sasori's feet. For a moment the cave seemed to come alive with the sounds of sheer demonic energy. Voices, screams, moans, and even the tinkering of precious gemstones all seemed to be emitting from inside the cave's abyss. Like there was still life essence slowly being tortured and tormented inside. It was the sound of sheer agony and pain. Sasori even felt his own heart cry for a moment. He could even make out the few fractured sentences coming from inside. No... Please... Do not... Going... Die! Then, after a few seconds it went dead silent. Eerie silent.

"Nothing like good sound effects to scare off wimps, eh? Todoro?" The one on the right said. Sasori could now see them clearly in the daylight. The boy on the right who just spoke had short, black spiky hair that stuck out messily in all directions. He also wore a long sleeve navy blue shirt with white shorts. The one accompanying him to the left had smooth caramel colored hair and wore an orange T-shirt and long black pants. These guys were no more than village scums!

"Right on Saki. But let's just keep a lookout for any more wimps on the way in." Todoro then rolled up the map in his hand and proceeded forward into the cave with Saki at his side.

Sasori waited until he could no longer hear the two's footsteps from outside the cave. Then, he ventured in on his own.

He was carful to keep his steps light and slow. He didn't want to startle any possible demonic beings within the tiniest cave crevasses or behind walls while he was in. It was even eerier in here than outside. He didn't get far before he began to hear the demented voices of those depraved souls. Don't go... Turn back! You will... Die! The voices echoed deep within the walls. They were harsh, raspy, and tinged with aggression. Clearly a sign that he should turn back, but Sasori didn't want to. He didn't feel the need to. In fact, he didn't feel anything at all. His puppet body felt no emotion, and he was grateful for it in this scenario.

As he ventured deeper and deeper within the cave, the cries of the souls grew more dire and desperate. Please... No... Don't do this! She... Will kill you! She? Now Sasori knew he was getting closer. If he knew one thing about the demon it was that it was a she. He doubled his walking speed in realization. At that point the souls volume grew louder and louder within the tunnel. Go back! Wrong way... Don't do it! She's... Evil! Despite of all those warnings he continued on.

Finally, he stopped in his tracks when he saw the Todoro and Saki standing in a dark cave clearing with their backs turned to him. They didn't sense his presence yet. Sasori quickly slipped into a large cave crevice nearby to avoid being seen. He poked half of his head out to see what exactly was happening. A summoning ritual was taking place. The one called Todoro began making some odd hand signs that were completely alien to Sasori and all shinobi kind. He'd never seen those before in his life. They were so strange in fact, that they were mesmerizing to look at. So complex, yet all of that could be preformed by only the conjunction of two human hands. Then, the boy began to chant in a language he'd never heard before.

"O'nak, O'nak melor vekniss shetran skrintiss gratun mella ovit anor O'nak... Nyh Sorentei!" In a flash, Todoro suddenly slapped his hand down on what seemed to be some kind of flat uplifting stone and then, the whole area of the cave was suddenly lit up by a ghostly blue glow. The crystals that were once dormant hanging down from the cave walls and ceilings were now ablaze with that cold winter blue like shinning icy chandeliers. The light was not only emitting from the crystals, but it also took the form of some kind of long, spirt-like wisp swirling in a spiral around the stone uplift. Higher and higher, the cold colored glittering fog snaked towards the ceiling, around the entire clearing, then finally back to the flat uplift. It began to swirl tighter and tighter around it until it was coiling above the large flat stone.

The coiling of the fog grew ever brighter , but this wasn't an eye blinding bright. This was a hypnotizing bright. Sasori however, couldn't feel it at all. After all, his eyes were only glass.

Then, a bright blue flash of light illuminated the clearing for one last time and was gone. Sasori now saw some one standing on top of the stone uplift. No, not someone. It was her. It was the Demon of Soul.

Her, or her form, was about fifteen years old (the same as him) had long straight black hair tied in a high half-ponytail with some black, color dotted feathers that stuck out from the band of her hair, fanning out like a peacock's. She also had very pale skin. Sasori couldn't make out much from his distance and the blue glow everywhere. She wore a black long sleeve tunic with several thick, ribbon like grey straps that wrapped all around her upper body. The tunic also had a heavy black skirt split open at the rear and between her front legs. Under the skirt she also wore matching black pants. On all of her fingers, he spotted curious silver talon-like finger armor on each of them, made by superior craftsmanship. Sasori knew of no ninja who wielded those kind of weapons. They seemed weak and invaluable to the eye, but even he knew better. If a demon could wield them, no body else could. Oh, and one more thing. Her eyes were deep, inhuman maroon color.

"Yes?" The demon spoke. Her voice was one to remember. It was feminine yet stern. Soft yet authoritative. She was very calm when she spoke, but there was however a glint of pure excitement in those maroon eyes. Excited for what? Sasori asked himself. The demon stood staring down at Todoro and Saki, patiently waiting for their next move. All of the sudden, the two school boys erupted into fits of dying laughter. Saki rolled on the floor with his eyes closed in suffocating fits. Todoro guffawed in his palm while almost keeling over. At this point, both the demon and Sasori seemed clueless to their actions.

"What's so funny?" The demon arched her eyebrow, looking slightly agitated by the two. She seemed to be thinking, I expected my summoner to be at the least, mature.

"Haha! You're a girl!" Saki taunted then continued rolling on the floor, suffocating in his own laughter. Did these guys want to get killed? Sasori could only stare at them in total bewilderment as to how they were treating a legendary demon. And the demon wasn't one bit happy with their little laugh fest.

"Girl?" The demon knitted her eyebrows. She seemed completely puzzled by the word.

"Yeah, you know, girl. As in totally-weak-and-can't-do-anything, girl." Saki scoffed. Ok, he was officially was going to die. Sasori thought.

"Are you calling my form, weak?" In an instant the demon's eyes flashed bright icy blue, and the two boys made the mistake of looking directly at her. Now, they stopped laughing. As their eyes glowed a cold blue exactly like hers the demon opened her jaw. Sasori saw a ghostly blue mist being drawn out from the two's mouths. No, that wasn't mere mist being sucked out from them. It was their souls. He could feel them. The demon was taking their souls.

About three seconds passed by until she thoroughly sucked every last bit of spirit left from their bodies. And without a soul, the bodies collapsed onto the ground, limp and lifeless. Sasori could only stare in awe and horror. A killer jutsu preformed with no hand signs what so ever. It was completely unheard of, yet, he saw before his very eyes. This girl was no joke.

Right as the bodies fell onto the cave floor, the demon's eyes stopped glowing and went back to their original maroon color. She closed her jaw and took in a refreshing deep breath of crisp cave air. Then, she sighed in... Disappointment? Then... Slumped on the stone uplift? Sasori was confused. What was a demon of legend like her, slumping in a depressing dark cave for? When she could be out and about having a blast destroying the world as we know it. Sasori saw her prop her hand under her chin and frown once more. Trapped... Trapped... The great demon is trapped... The voices of the spirits whispered. Trapped? Sasori's eyes lit up. Was that the reason why she couldn't leave? Because she was trapped? He thought. The soul demon seemed to take notice of the cave spirits' annoying babbling.

"Would you shut up already?! Killing my only chance of getting out of here is depressing enough." Her shout echoed off the cave walls. The voices immediately ceased. Now, it was all silent within the dark tunnels.

Sasori then watched the demon close her eyes lightly, as if concentrating on something.

"Yakmeh, loreh adellana." The demon spoke. That strange language again. Sasori puzzled. What kind was it? Just then, the whole cave shook with violent, ground shaking vibrations. The soul blue crystals on the ceiling around the demon tinkered as they began to crack. Then, one crystal, about four inches long, broke from it's stem and shattered against the cave floor. Millions of tiny shimmering flasks scattered in every direction next to the demon, who seemed unfazed by the whole incident. Then another smaller, long cold blue wisp began snaking around in a coil next to her feet on the cave floor. Faster and faster, until another hundred watt luminous white blast dazzled the entire cave for a split second, and was gone.

Perched on the cave floor next to her feet was now a sixteen inch tall, midnight black raven. Like her, this was no ordinary raven. It had cold, soul blue eyes, contrary to the demon's maroon eyes. The most noticeable thing on the raven was the collar like an ornament worn around it's neck. The choker lace was made out of neat beige twine and hanging all around the rims were several tiny, thin strings of clear, crystalized black and white beads. Maybe, onyx and quarts? He also spotted a small, black leather pouch strapped to it's left upper leg. Similar to a typical ninja tool pouch, except much smaller, no more than two mere inches long and one inch wide. Sasori was a little surprised that he didn't see a typical messenger pouch on the bird's leg instead. So... She didn't use this bird for carrying messages. He fumbled. If not messages, then what? What exactly did she use this bird for? Why did she even need one? The questions boggled his mind. Why would a great demon like her, need assistance from a meek little raven? Then again, was this just an ordinary raven?

The bird turned it's head up to her and gingerly and leaped up on top of her right shoulder with exceptional grace. The skilled black bird fluttered so softly that it only sent a single current of air rippling through the demon's black strands of hair. When it unfrilled it's coal black wings Sasori could see the glittering of silver piercings shaped like rings embedded in the bird's marginal coverts.

"Well, Teyal. It's been a while. Don't you think?" The demon crooned. She gave a friendly snicker to her raven friend.

"Caw! Caw! To you too, lassie!" The crow seemed to laugh. "Please, call me Benny now." The raven gestured to himself with a right wing and bowed on her shoulder. Sasori wondered what kind of accent Benny was speaking in. Or why was the raven even speaking in the first place. The ravens he knew definitely couldn't talk, and if they could, they wouldn't talk like that. What ever it's accent was, it was very thick and brogue. It was easy to tell that the raven's gender was male judging by all that cackling. The demon knit her eyebrows.

"Benny? What kind of name is that?" The demon asked.

"Aw, I don't know, lass. They just call me that there in good o'l Scotland." Benny cawed. Sasori nor the demon knew what he was talking about.

"Scot... Land?"

"Thea ya go o'l lass!" Benny emphasized with a light nudge from his wing to her face. The demon didn't seem to mind the hyperactive raven flustering black feathers against her cheek. If anything, she seemed to be somewhat glad to have an old friend from childhood.

"Benny, get your feathers out of my face before I roast every single one of them with a Soul Fire." The demon smiled, with not one bit of hostility in her voice. So, this raven was a comrade. Sasori confirmed. Benny cawed in laughter and took a few steps to the side, so that he only occupied the very edge of her shoulder. Then the demon sighed once more and then frowned. The raven took notice of his friend's depression.

"Why so blue o'l lass?" Benny twitched his head to the side.

"Well... It's just that I can't believe no one else is here to free me, you know? I'm just sitting here in this dark cave abyss, waiting." The demon sighed once more. To Sasori's surprise, Benny the raven gave a quick glance to his direction. Oh, no! He saw me! Sasori alarmed. This raven was good.

"Oh, I think you need your o'l ears checked, lassie!" He lightly pecked her ear.

"Why?" The demon asked.

"I think ya might have over looked something in those o'l crevices there, lassie." The raven pointed directly at Sasori with his primary feathers. Shit! I have to get out of here! Sasori tensed. The demon of soul looked in his direction. He quickly completely hid himself in the shadow of the crevice, but no without scraping a few stone pebbles of the cave. Shit! He swore in his head. The demon notice and widened her eyes. He could even feel her gaze pierce the very rock of the cave and spear through the heart in his chest and felt the power of her stare radiate chills through the fiber of his heart. He was paralyzed.

"Show yourself, petty human." The demon bellowed. To his dismay, he felt his own body betray him. Sasori stepped out of the crevice and into the cold cave light directly in front of her. Bound by the unbreakable chains of her unfaltering stare. Those eyes could kill if he didn't play his cards right.

"Let's get this over with shall we?" The demon rumbled. He was allowed a glance at the raven who gave a sinister smile to his quick and subtle fate. Was his the end of him? Then, an idea sparked in his mind, an idea that would save him from her. He had in possession, the Soul Stone.

Just before her eyes could flash completely cold blue, he said something.

"Wait," He began. To his surprise, the demon actually listened and her eyes resumed their original maroon color. She looked intrigued. The raven twitched it's head again.

"What is it, lad? Too chicken of your own death?" The raven cawed. Sasori ignored the raven, and gave his full attention to the demon. He let the Soul Stone slip out of his sleeve, into the palm of his hand, and held it up to the demon. The once glass blue orb in the shop, now glowed a brilliant soul blue with blinding white in the center. A number popped up into his head. Two hundred fifty. He killed two hundred fifty, and had two hundred fifty puppets. Two hundred fifty souls. The demon's eyes grew wide at the stone. Sasori knew immediately that she desired it. Her eyes were no longer binding him and spearing through his heart nor were they holing him fast to the ground. He could attack now, while she was distracted, but he knew that he couldn't underestimate her. Sasori had no idea how many souls that she had in possession. The raven seemed to take notice and shot a glance at him like, don't even try it, laddie. That totally erased the thought from his mind.

"You do you seek from me?" The demon asked. She was now staring directly at him once again, but the chains were weak. She had been convinced. Sasori relaxed just a little. He was now on the demon's 'good' side. She seemed open to a fair deal.

"I hear you know most about the world," He paused, still extending the stone out to the demon.

"Yes... Go on..." The demon gestured for him to continue. Good, now she was responding.

"Can you guide me to the source of this riddle?" Sasori held up the invitation between his fingers.

"Caw! Caw! Sorry, laddie. But this here lass don't do no tour guides." The raven cawed in laughter. The demon however remained still. Good, she was considering. Then, she stood up from the uplift. Sasori now saw her height in full. She was average for fifteen, maybe just two centimeters shorter than him. The raven wobbled a little on her shoulder and twitched his head towards her, giving her a questioning look. But the demon's attention was all on Sasori and the Soul Stone. She extended her hand out to him for the Soul Stone. Sasori knew he couldn't trust her or what she said, but once again he found himself closing the gap between them and plopped the stone into her hand. She clasped it in her palm as he stepped back a few feet. Both the raven and the demon gave a sinister grin. Then, she crushed the entire stone into a million fragments of shards.

Hundreds of swirling white wisps spiraled around her, faster and faster. She let down her jaw and the wisps all filed inside it, until there was no more left to devour. Awake... Alive... The demon rises once more... To destroy! The cave voices came back and were now whispering to each other in alarm. Sasori turned his head back to the demon.

Just like the voices said, she looked awake now. She looked alive. She no longer maintained the previous frail body, it was now fresh, fleeting, and strong. And... She smiled at him. Not one of those sinister smiles that she had on before. A genuine thank you sort of smile. Even though it still sent chills down his wooden spine, it was warmer than her stare that bound him with chains of ice. He normally couldn't feel anything, but not with her. She was different. She could chain him, bind him, harm him, by the heart, and by the soul. It frightened Sasori to no end, and soon realized that he couldn't let his guard own with her, not even for a split second, but her smile didn't help at all with that.

"Well played, human. What is it that they call you by?" The demon asked.

"Sasori," He answered. The demon nodded her head and proceeded forward towards him.

"The riddle," The demon once again extended her silver talons out to him for the riddle. She was just three feet away from him. He handed her the riddle which she took and immediately opened and read. Benny bent himself down to see the text. This raven could read too? Sasori puzzled.

After a short while they both finished reading the riddle and the demon folded it up and returned it back to Sasori.

"Well?" Sasori waited for her to reply.

"You have a deal, human. I know exactly where this location is." The demon confirmed. Then, her eyes averted to something on the cave wall.

"If you could just be so kind as to release me from this cave, I would be happy to accompany you on the way." The demon gestured with her talons. Sasori followed her fingers to a paper seal located high up on the cave wall, almost above the ceiling.

"Is there some kind of trap to go with it?" Sasori asked the demon.

"No. It is a standard seal that binds only it's victim." She answered in dismay. Sasori drew a single kunai from his sleeve and ran up the cave wall, gripping it with chakra from his feet. No... It's a trap! She'll betray you... She can't be trusted! Don't do it!

"Oh, pipe down ya overgrown toothpicks!" Benny squawked at the cave spirits. They ignored Benny and kept on moaning and screaming warnings. Just before he was about to slash the seal with his kunai, he hesitated.

"Don't listen to whatever they say. They're just illusions created by the seal. They're not real." The demon added. No! No! She's lying... We are here! Don't do it! Don't cut the... Too late. Sasori tore through the delicate paper seal like it was nothing. And the voices ceased from all around the cave... Permanently. He was glad, they were getting on his nerves from the very beginning.

Sasori leaped down from the cave wall and in front of the demon once again. Benny the raven sighed.

"Well, I'm off lad. You'll be seeing me soon. Whenever the o'l lass summons me again." Then, the bird slowly dissolved into nothing but raven feathers, and then to mere black dust that the demon easily brushed off her shoulder.

"The journey will be long. It will take about three weeks time. Think you can put up with me that long?" Sasori picked up a little sarcasm in her tone of voice. Sasori didn't know what else to do but give a slight nod. To his surprise, the demon smirked at him.

"Follow me," She brushed past him and walked towards the cave tunnels that lead the way out. But he hesitated. How could he trust a strong and powerful demon like her who could easily just kill him whenever she pleased? The demon turned her head around, noticing his hesitation.

"You don't trust me, do you?" She said with her eyes narrowed. Sasori shook his head in a no. She blinked once. "Very well," She sighed. Then she walked over to a large shard of cold blue crystal, jutting from the side of the wall. She snapped it off and gestured for Sasori to come closer. He obeyed and she took his hand... Well, wrist.

"This won't hurt, but I don't have to tell you" She assured. Then, she shattered the crystal against his wrist. Once again, the specks of the shattered shards swirled around both of their wrists. When it subsided Sasori then saw the glow of a chakra colored, five foot long chain attaching to both of their wrists, binding himself fast to the demon. The soul blue color still glowed faintly in the darkness. "There. Now, I am attached to you. I can't go anywhere." She claimed. "The key to opening it, is your permission." She then faced away from Sasori and lead the way out.

"Wait, do you have a name?" Sasori asked as he caught up to her.

"They call me Reikon no Fumetsu. Immortality of the soul." She paused. "But you can call me Reikon."

. . .

"It's getting late. Are you tired?" Sasori asked. He had to turn his head almost all the way back to see her. They were traveling at a fast pace on the tree tops. Sasori always being a little higher than her and currently in the lead. Reikon didn't look so good judging by the way she was tree hopping. It was sloppy and clumsy, like she had never done this before. He recalled her snapping about three branches before she got the hang of it. He had caught her from falling three times. Sasori remembered that he actually had to show her how before they picked up the pace. Yet they were still slow, traveling at half his average speed, but he couldn't lose sight of her presence. Who knows what demons could do when you have your back turned. Sasori had made that mistake several times with her already, but she never did anything. He would always turn back to see her right behind him, but the distance greatened as it got late in the evening. Sasori knew she was tired, yet she wasn't even panting or showing any sign of weariness. Only the fact that she grew slower with every yard.

"Maybe. I can't really tell." She looked up at him and paused. "Do you think this form can withstand it any longer?" Reikon asked. Sasori didn't really get what she was saying at first. What did she mean 'can this form withstand it any longer'? Wouldn't she feel it too? Then he remembered what Akira said at the library. They took the forms of three shinobi. Perhaps, forms were just like tools or capsules, mere shields that don't feel anything.

"Let's stop for the night." Sasori decided. Right below him, he found a suitable place.

It was a small brownstone cave that was shielded from most weather and enemies, shrouded by thick forest trees and lit by the glow of sunset. It was about six feet tall, twelve feet deep in, and fourteen feet wide. Sasori jumped down from the branch and now was in front of the mouth of the small cave. Reikon soon was on the ground behind him as well.

"Is there anything in there?" Sasori asked while peering into the cave. It was getting darker, so his eyesight wasn't as accurate.

"No. It's safe and deserted." Reikon replied. Sasori stared at her. "I can sense the presence of other life. Life requires a soul." She explained. He just nodded slightly and proceeded into the cave with Reikon behind him.

It wasn't long before Sasori slumped down against the brown stone cave wall in boredom. Reikon followed his example and sat right back down beside to him.

Sasori eventually got tired of them both staring off into nothing for ten minutes and decided to ask the demon some questions, considering that it was a once in a life time opportunity.

"Reikon, can I ask you a question?" Sasori began. The demon nodded for him to proceed. "Why did you choose a female form to house you?"

"Female?" Reikon looked puzzled for a second. "Ah... Yes. I've had heard some rumors that humans tend to have 'genders'. Distinguished by male and female." She paused and gazed at Sasori again. "Is that correct?"

"Yes,"

"I honestly don't really know the difference, but I choose this body because of it was rather fleeting and agile, something that I need in order to be able to cast my jutsu, if that's what you humans call it." She made a gesture with her hand. "Finesse, agility, and accuracy are much more important to me than strength and bravery. In fact, bravery is just for fools." She scowled.

"You don't even need strength?" Sasori questioned.

"You don't need strength to kill," Reikon then displayed to him her silver talon finger armor. Now, even in the dusk they proved themselves sharper than a knife with several silver glints.

"What do those do?"

"You'll find out soon enough." She smiled a most sinister sight. This 'girl' was definitely not human. Sasori was now totally convinced at that. No one had that kind of smile. It was too unnatural, to... Inhumane.

"I heard you had other demon siblings," Sasori paused.

"Oh, you must be talking about Karada and Nentou." Reikon stated.

"Who?"

"Body and Mind." Reikon then explained to Sasori about her legend. "Long ago, in the first Great Shinobi War, everything was in complete chaos, and that of course gave birth to several other minor demons who started terrorizing the world. Not only that, but you foolish humans started fighting over one another for complete and total control and power. There was a very high demand for the ultimate weapon, that was the jinchuriki, the manifestation of the Tailed Demon Beasts. My creators, the Land of Demons heard of the terrifying news and soon found that there land was under a ferocious attack by the swarm of hundreds of villages. They too were desperate, but instead of creating jinchuriki of their own, they decided on their own, original, demons." Reikon was interrupted.

"Why couldn't they create jinchuriki?" Sasori asked.

"They didn't know how to at the time. Only the Five Great Nations knew all about them." She paused. "Anyway, the Land of Demons specialized in creating, well, demons. It was not long before they conjured three. The demon of Body came first, then the demon of Soul, and then finally the demon of Mind. But we were Elemental Demons, that is the disadvantage of being created by humans, we didn't have a true form, and so The Land of Demons presented their top most skilled shinobi to us. We of corse, humbly excepted. I choose this form of a light and agile young female, and modified her in a stronger, more potent being." Reikon gestured to herself. "Nentou choose the form of a young male, not strong in muscle mass for sure, but strong in mind, intelligence. Karada, being the demon of body, choose a buff well muscled male for his form, superior strength unmatched by anyone, but to the cost of higher intelligence. But, we were hopelessly young when we possessed our forms... You could say that we went completely berserk. Drunk by the joy of experiencing the world. So happy in fact, that we left the land in almost complete desolation. Destroying all in our path, from enemies to allies to the guilty and the innocent. Nothing could save them. We even destroyed almost all of the very village that created us." She paused for a moment just to flashback and then continued. "Then this supposed 'hero' came along and sealed all of us away in three separate scrolls. I don't know where my siblings are, so don't ask." She glared at Sasori at the last. "We're only together in the Summoned World."

"I see." Sasori said and went back to leaning against the cave wall. He wasn't that used to his puppet body yet, so he could feel the weariness. And to his surprise, Reikon actually yawned.

"Is this what you humans do when you get tired?" She half asked and groaned. Her eyes about to close shut. This didn't help Sasori's alertness at all. How could he concentrate on the fact that she could kill him when she was openly yawning right in front of him? Sasori could only nod. Reikon yawned just one more time before she suddenly rested her head on Sasori's lap, her body laying down on it's side. She felt nothing from the simple gesture though, after all, she wasn't aware of 'human affairs'. Sasori just stared at her with a mix of emotions. In fact, he was surprised that he could feel any at all.

"Sorry, do you mind?" She asked without moving an inch. It was clearly not a question at all. The demon wasn't moving. Sasori decided to counter the demon's gesture, just to see what would happen.

"You know, if you seek comfort, you might find the very ground a more suitable place to rest than on me." He stated while resting his cheek on his fist. Reikon just snickered.

"Oh, stop being such a human about this." Those were the last words she said before she fell asleep on Sasori's lap. Strangely though, he found that he didn't really mind at all.

After a while of trying to sleep sitting up, he actually felt a little uncomfortable. And he was still puzzled about how he could even 'feel' in the first place.

Carefully, he slipped his left hand between his thigh and Reikon's head and then lift her up just enough so he could slide down facing her back on his side. She didn't stir. Then he gently let her head slide back down so that it now rested on the inside of his upper arm. They were now so close that Sasori's chest pressed lightly against the demon's back. She didn't show any signs of awareness though. Just to test her warmth, he then moved his right arm so that it now perched and loosely wrapped around below her rib cage, but just above the hip. By commanding the fiber of his heart to travel to his right arm, he could feel her temperature. Turns out, the demon was no warmer than a dead body. It was the same as the night air itself. There was absolutely no warmth flowing through her body. He could feel, however, movements inside her body. Movements he could only compare to the flow of slow moving water, flowing throughout her body. Was this her chakra? He thought. But this matter was way too thick to be mere chakra, although there were many similarities, it was different from a humans. Perhaps this is exclusively the chakra of the demons. He assumed.

In time, Sasori now found the demon fascinating in a way. She may look like a human, but he soon discovered that she was far from it. He managed to slide his hand ever so gently to her neck. He now felt the pulse of the demon. At first, he thought that demons didn't have a pulse, but of course, with her, he was mistaken. The pulse was extremely slow but loud, thumping against his fingers once every thirty seconds or so, and had the sound of silent drumbeats.

Sasori's hand now slipped up to Reikon's raven black hair. By running his fingers ever so lightly between the strands, he could get a feel of it's texture. Upon contact they seemed to come alive with the feel of light running wind and gentle rushing waters. He could feel the very demonic essence lingering in every strand of her hair as well. He also took a glance at her feathers.

But all of the sudden, he felt a demanding pang of weariness overwhelm him, and he soon fell victim to a deep and tranquil sleep.

* * *

Death: And here we have our Demonic Dictionary and exclusive mini Benny Bio!

Todoro's ritual (translated): "Demon, Demon, hear my cry. You shall rest for long no more. For I shall be your master for now in the lore. Demon, be summoned!"

Reikon summoning Benny (translated): From the chain that still binds the black raven's will. Bring him here to my fortress of ill.

Mini Benny Bio (character design)

Name: Benny (Teyal)

Date of Birth: March 8th

Height: 1 foot and three inches.

Age: 30 (human years)

History: Benny was born the runt of the litter, always feeding on the scraps from his stronger siblings in the nest. Reikon took pity on him in her search for an ally and took on the responsibility of raising him. Benny grew miraculously strong and fit within a short time and was blessed with her special demonic gifts of power. He soon found out that he was an extremely lucky runt to have met her, and is forever bound by her side by his own will.

Function and Description: Benny, or Teyal, poses as Reikon's "right wing man" and offense weapon in the story. He posses the ability to turn invisible (like her) and also has some of Reikon's Phantom Ability. Phantom Ability is when either Reikon or Benny close all passage ways to their internals (for example, closing their mouths) and allowing them to have properties of phantom, enabling them to go through or have objects go through them. Reikon does not use him for messaging like other demons. Benny functions as an important (but not vital) offense weapon that can definitely turn the tables when she is out numbered. Benny is an inquisitive and curious raven, eager to explore the world at it's large. Although he is bound to obey and follow Reikon as he is forever in her debt, as Reikon had took pity on him from when he was just a little chick in an abandoned nest. Benny also functions as Reikon's comforter or advisor, always lending a sensitive wing to his savior. More of Benny's true function later to come in the next chapter.

Personality: Benny is a very curious and inquisitive fellow that loves to travel and explore new things. Although, when it comes to Reikon, he will always be seen perching on her shoulder following her everywhere she goes. He is extremly loyal to Reikon as the two seem to be almost inseparable at times. Benny never ceases to amuse Reikon and tries hard to put a smile on his best friend's face. Like her, Benny's idea of "humor" is no where near the human's idea, and is very crude and grotesque. But humor is humor. Reikon might as well be Benny's "master" although Benny never refers to her as that.


End file.
